Baby Formula Contains Arsenic, New Study Claims
A new report has just been released which addresses the serious concerns some have with the amount of arsenic in organic products and baby formula.
The researchers, from Dartmouth University, revealed that several organic food products contain a supplement known as organic brown rice syrup which tends to have higher concentrations of dietary arsenic than foods without the syrup.
Brian Jackson, research associate professor and lead author of the study, said the study stemmed from previous studies the team had done on arsenic in baby formulas.
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"The main brand infant formulas were pretty low," Jackson told Fox. "Then I was at a local super market and saw two infant formulas we hadn't run, and they had 20 to 30 times higher rates … I looked at the label and the first ingredient I saw was organic brown rice syrup."
The test included a wide variety of foods from infant formulas, cereal and even energy bars.
The report cited that one particular infant formula that was tested had arsenic levels six times that of the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water limit of 10 parts per billion.
Organic brown rice syrup is widely used in organic foods as a healthier option. The brown rice syrup is used as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup which has been linked to the high rates of obesity.
Brown rice is known to acquire arsenic because arsenic is present in the husks of brown rice. As a result when it is harvested rice absorbs silica, which helps it grow. Arsenic resembles silica which leads to the higher absorption rates of arsenic in brown rice.
There have been other studies which show a link between high arsenic concentration and some cancers and cardiovascular disease. Jackson did state that it is too early to make any definite statements regarding the consumption of brown rice syrup and cancer.
"We really don't know what the risks are," Jackson said. "We have a good handle on what the risks of arsenic are through drinking water, but those calculations are based on a lifetime of exposure."
Jackson continues to state that monitoring arsenic in food consumption is difficult because "diet choices are variable, so some items may contain arsenic and some don't. So it's hard to make those comparisons."
